86 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



" You see, sir/' said he, pouching the coin, 

 " this is how they do it ; they go to a river 

 with their rods and flies, and I am appointed 

 to meet them at a certain spot with the 

 nets ; we catch all the fish we can in this 

 way, and they take a certain number home, 

 not too many, as it would tell a tale, and 

 I take the rest home to them. This is how 

 they have got the name of Les pecheurs in- 

 trepides" 



I mentally determined I would " drop on to " 

 these gentlemen some fine day, and so I did ; I 

 caught them in the fact, and taxed them with 

 it. The consequence was that the five gave me 

 a friendly invitation to meet them next morn- 

 ing at a different sort of amusement, for doubt- 

 ing their word, a politeness I was bound to 

 accept. 



T must, unless an unusual amount of luck had 

 attended me, have come off second best in this 

 affair, but it got to the ears of the authorities, 

 and was put an end to in rather a summary 

 manner, I confess not altogether to my dissatis- 

 faction, as I had no great wish to stand up to 

 be skewered, or potted, with the chances of five 



